Category: blaze media

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office in Florida announced that it busted five illegal aliens tied to the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.

Sheriff Grady Judd detailed the arrests during a Friday press briefing, explaining that two of the suspects were confirmed TDA members and the other three were identified as “associates.”

‘PCSO detectives obtained arrest warrants charging all five with robbery, which is upgraded to a first degree felony due to their gang status.’

The men, who are reportedly all in the U.S. illegally, were accused of a string of liquor store robberies in Florida.

The sheriff’s office stated that the illegal aliens attempted to steal $3,200 worth of “high-end liquor” from a Sam’s Club in March. When a store employee tried to stop the robbery, the men rammed her with the shopping cart, injuring her hand, Judd said.

The illegal aliens reportedly disabled their getaway vehicle after driving over a concrete curb in the store’s parking lot. They left the car behind and fled in an Uber, according to the sheriff’s office.

“Two of the suspects were positively identified and detectives determined they were incarcerated in Osceola County for a different robbery,” a press release from the sheriff’s office read. “Those suspects are Samuel Oglis David Anthony Charle, 25, and Ildemaro Miguel Escalona Mendoza, 26. Once the three other suspects were identified – Alexis Jose Rodriguez-Benavides, 27, Darwins Smith Vasquez Leon, 28, and Ramon Jesus Carpintero-Luna, 26 – PCSO detectives obtained arrest warrants charging all five with robbery, which is upgraded to a first degree felony due to their gang status.”

The men have been tied to “over three dozen retail thefts” across the state. The total losses from their theft reportedly reached over $30,000, the sheriff’s office estimated.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement filed detainers against all five of the suspects. They remain in local custody while facing first-degree felony charges. Grady noted that more charges are expected.

During the press briefing, Grady closed his remarks by urging President Donald Trump to take executive action to speed up the deportation process.

“We’ve got to have policy change to make an appreciable difference. We got the same old clunky system that’s ineffective at best and horribly broken in reality. And to try to move it along, it is just slow,” Grady stated. “The feds are helping and working hard on the local level. They don’t have the policy change that allows this to speed up, and the word’s got to get to the president.”

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Former Senator and former Democrat Kyrsten Sinema mocked the continuing crisis of the Democratic Party in Arizona after party leaders publicly aired out their dirty laundry.

Arizona Democratic Party Chair Robert Branscomb II accused Democrat Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego of trying to intimidate and threaten him over his pick for the executive director of the party. Kelly and Gallego responded by declaring that Branscomb had lost their trust.

Sinema has used her social media account to mock Democrats’ use of the filibuster since losing control of the Senate in the 2024 election.

Sinema, who left the party and registered as an independent in Dec. 2022, ridiculed the Democrats’ implosion by responding on social media with a popcorn emoji, suggesting she was viewing the feud with pleasure.

Branscomb had emailed state committee members on Saturday in a long and detailed message that accused the senators of racial undertones in their hostile response to the new hiring.

“The idea that both Arizona senators would withdraw support because I did not choose their preferred candidate is not only troubling — it’s a threat to the integrity and independence of our party,” he wrote. “I will not be coerced, and I will not be silenced.”

In response, Democratic Party Vice Chairman Aaron Marquez wrote an email accusing Branscomb of making false claims.

Democrats have been reeling since the devastating results of the 2024 election where they lost the Oval Office, lost the U.S. Senate, and failed to win control of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Branscomb had claimed that a top staffer from Kelly’s office told Branscomb that the election “was the result of ‘black folks coming after Latinos.’” Gallego, Kelly, and other top officials had backed another candidate named Yolanda Bejarano for the party chair election, but she lost to Branscomb, who is African-American.

During her time in Congress, Sinema had earned the ire of her party after she and fellow moderate Joe Manchin thwarted Democrats’ plans to pass extreme legislation, especially in support of the filibuster in the Senate. Gallego has since won her seat after she left office in January.

Sinema has used her social media account to mock Democrats’ use of the filibuster since losing control of the Senate in the 2024 election. She was so dedicated to the project that she created a spreadsheet to keep track of hypocritical Democrats who had previously attacked her.

“Maybe it isn’t an old Jim Crow relic, after all,” she joked after Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) spoke for 25 minutes against Republican policies in a filibuster celebrated by many on the left as historic.

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Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ripped into the mainstream media while attending the Easter Egg Roll at the White House on Monday.

Hegseth was responding to a report first published by the New York Times that he had sent information about a future military strike on the Houthi terrorist group to a Signal group chat with his wife, his brother, and a personal lawyer. The accusation came after a similarly embarrassing leak to the editor in chief of the Atlantic.

‘We’re changing the Defense Department, putting the Pentagon back in the hands of warfighters, and anonymous smears from disgruntled former employees on old news doesn’t matter.’

Hegseth lambasted the media while speaking outside the White House to reporters about the leak.

“This is what the media does. They take anonymous sources from disgruntled former employees, and then they try to slash and burn people and ruin their reputations,” said Hegseth.

“Not gonna work with me because we’re changing the Defense Department, putting the Pentagon back in the hands of warfighters, and anonymous smears from disgruntled former employees on old news doesn’t matter,” he added. “So I’m happy to be here at the Easter Egg Roll with my dad and my kids, because this is what we’re doing it for.”

He went on to point to all the reporters and deride them as “hoaxsters.”

Hegseth’s brother and his personal attorney are both employees at the Pentagon, but his wife is not, according to the report.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Hegseth from the accusations.

“This is what happens when the entire Pentagon is working against you and working against the monumental change you are trying to implement,” she said.

When President Donald Trump was asked about the Hegseth leaks, he responded with support for the defense secretary.

“He’s doing a great job — ask the Houthis how he’s doing,” Trump said to reporters after the Easter Egg Roll.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell also criticized the media and downplayed the incident.

“Another day, another old story — back from the dead. The Trump-hating media continues to be obsessed with destroying anyone committed to President Trump’s agenda,” he wrote on social media.

National security adviser Mike Waltz admitted that he had accidentally added Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor in chief of the Atlantic, to the first Houthi strike Signal group, and while some called for his resignation, he continues to serve at the Defense Department.

Here’s video of Hegseth’s comments:

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Cenk Uygur, founder of “The Young Turks,” has long found himself at odds with those on the right. However, unlike most on the left, Uygur’s attention has shifted from the right to the establishment.

“News has not been news for so long. People have forgotten. They’re, like, demanding propaganda, and they’re like, ‘Why won’t you say that Obama is a saint?’

“And I’m like, ‘But we’re on the left; we don’t want him drilling in the Gulf,’” Uygur tells James Poulos on “Zero Hour.”

“On what planet should I not criticize that?” he asks, adding, “Are we supposed to morph our policies around these politicians and their donors?”

While Uygur doesn’t believe that right-wing media is any better than the left-wing media, it’s the mainstream media he takes real issue with.

“Most of all, mainstream media is the ones that claim to be objective. And I think they’re the least objective, the least truthful. Not because their facts are wrong, but because their framing is so absurd — that politicians aren’t crooks. They’re crooks. That donor money doesn’t affect politicians? You’ve got to be mental to think it doesn’t affect politicians,” he explains.

“So the Democratic Party, unfortunately, has gone so pro-corporate,” he continues.

“They’re so blinded by their own bubble, James. That’s the most important thing. Everybody’s in their bubble, and in their bubble they’re 100% right.”

This is what Uygur believes led to the results of the 2024 election.

“2024 to me was the most watershed moment for so many reasons, because the establishment finally realized the country hates them,” he adds.

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New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) is risking losing federal government funding after she refused to comply with President Donald Trump’s demand to shut down Manhattan’s congestion toll.

The Trump administration’s Department of Transportation gave Hochul and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority until Sunday to shut down its $9 congestion toll, but the governor and MTA officials refused.

‘The federal government sends billions to New York — but we won’t foot the bill if the state continues to implement an illegal toll to backfill the budget of New York’s failing transit system.’

In February, the MTA filed a lawsuit against the White House, seeking to block it from ending the toll program. The state’s Department of Transportation and New York City joined the complaint against the administration last week.

“The President is not a king, and Defendants have no right to demand compliance with the Administration’s unlawful directives,” the lawsuit read. “Plaintiffs will continue to operate the Program as required by New York law unless and until Plaintiffs are directed to stop by a court order.”

Despite the court filing, Trump’s DOT stated that it still expected New York to comply with its deadline on April 20.

“USDOT will continue to fight for working-class Americans whose tax dollars have already funded and paid for these roads,” the department stated.

On Saturday, U.S. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) told the New York Post that the White House “needs to come up with some type of penalization for not complying.”

“Maybe they want to look at withholding certain federal funds, for projects within Manhattan, within the congestion zone. Maybe the Second Avenue subway [expansion project], for example,” she stated.

The Trump administration appeared to take Malliotakis’ advice after Hochul declared, “The cameras are staying on.”

MTA chief of policy and external relations John McCarthy told the Post, “In case there were any doubts, MTA, State, and City reaffirmed in a court filing that congestion pricing is here to stay and that the arguments [USDOT] Secretary [Sean] Duffy made trying to stop it have zero merit.”

After New York breezed past the Sunday deadline, Duffy sent a letter to Hochul warning of “serious consequences” for continuing to impose the tolls.

Duffy gave the state’s DOT until May 21 to either stop the congestion fines or demonstrate how it did not violate the law. He noted that if the Federal Highway Administration finds that the state has broken the law or fails to respond, the federal government could pull funding for state road projects beginning on May 28.

He stated in a post on X, “The federal government sends billions to New York — but we won’t foot the bill if the state continues to implement an illegal toll to backfill the budget of New York’s failing transit system.”

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​News, Kathy hochul, Congestion tolls, Manhattan, New york city, New york, Donald trump, Trump, Trump administration, Trump admin, Department of transportation, Metropolitan transportation authority, Mta, Politics 

President Donald Trump released a brief statement on the death of Pope Francis, which was announced by the Vatican early Monday morning.

The president ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff to honor the pope, who had struggled with his health for many months and died of a cerebral stroke and heart failure at the age of 88.

‘With charity and clarity we are all called to live in solidarity and fraternity, to build bridges that bring us ever closer together.’

“Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!” wrote Trump on social media.

Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and was named to head the Catholic Church in 2013.

The pope and Trump had a contentious feud, especially on illegal immigration as the president cracked down on groups that offered aid to immigrants, especially religious organizations. Francis issued a statement in February acknowledging the right of nations to establish and defend their borders, but also called on Christians to provide aid to immigrants.

“I exhort all the faithful of the Catholic Church, and all men and women of good will, not to give in to narratives that discriminate against and cause unnecessary suffering to our migrant and refugee brothers and sisters,” wrote the pontiff at the time.

“With charity and clarity we are all called to live in solidarity and fraternity, to build bridges that bring us ever closer together,” he added, “to avoid walls of ignominy and to learn to give our lives as Jesus Christ gave his for the salvation of all.”

Despite the feud, the president directed U.S. offices to respect the pope’s passing.

As a mark of respect for the memory of His Holiness Pope Francis, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, on the day of interment.

Vice President JD Vance, who is Catholic, visited the pope just before he died, leading to memes on social media suggesting that Vance was somehow responsible for the pope’s passing.

Vance and the pope had a public debate about the interpretation of an obscure Catholic teaching about helping one’s neighbor as it relates to the question of illegal immigration. Despite the disagreement, Vance had called on Catholics to pray for the pope’s health when news of his deterioration surfaced.

“Every day, since I heard of Pope Francis’ illness, I say a prayer for the Holy Father,” Vance said in February. “Because while yes, I was surprised when he criticized our immigration policy in the way that he has … I believe that the pope is fundamentally a person who cares about the flock of Christians under his leadership. And he’s a man who cares about the spiritual direction of the faith.”

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New Islamic developments in cities like Plano, Texas, have residents concerned about a rising spread of Sharia-based teachings and community structures. And their concern isn’t misplaced, as videos from inside the movement reveal candid admissions about enforcing religious law, including punishments for theft and adultery.

“Those shopkeepers who sell the rings and stuff on the kiosks, when it’s time for Salah, what do they do? Even to this day, they put a cloth over it and they go pray. Nobody’s going to steal anything. Why? Because you will lose your hand over it,” Yusha Evans of Plano, Texas, said on video.

“And if you’re in Medina, they don’t have to take you very far, because the Sharia court is right next to Masi. They don’t have to take you very far; you will lose your hand. So the deterrent is there,” he continued, noting that those who have been caught and given this punishment statistically do not repeat-offend.

“It’s almost nonexistent,” he added. “They’re sending out polls about whether you would like to live under Sharia for a reason. I would rather you keep your mouth shut than say some of things that I’ve heard been said. Because any Muslim who says they would not like to live under Sharia, they have just made a statement that exited them out of their entire religion.”

“That’s a pretty hardcore stance,” Pat Gray of “Pat Gray Unleashed” comments. “That if you don’t agree with Sharia law, you don’t want to live under Sharia law, but you do want to practice Islam, sorry, you’ve left the religion.”

Gray, like many others, is concerned about the budding Muslim communities in places like Plano, where Evans lives.

“The only reason it’s a problem is because they’re trying to institute Sharia law, and they’re discriminating against Christians and Jews and anybody else who wants to move into that area by telling them that 75% of your money is going to go to the mosque we’re building,” Gray explains.

“There’s a misunderstanding that this is a new thing. It isn’t. There’s at least two of these pretty big communities here in Irving, where our studios are located, and there’s already an existing one, I believe, in Plano,” he continues, adding, “They’re just trying to make it much bigger.”

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The daughter of Minnesota Democrat governor and failed vice presidential candidate Tim Walz declared that if Jesus Christ were living in the United States today, President Donald Trump’s administration would claim he was part of the deadly MS-13 gang and deport him.

Hope Walz, the 24-year-old daughter of Tim Walz, posted a controversial video on TikTok, where she alleged that the Trump administration would claim Jesus Christ was an MS-13 gang member as a way to deport him.

Hope called people who lean right ‘dumb’ and described President Trump as the ‘king felon in chief.’

“If Jesus were alive today and in the United States, this administration would have already taken him and removed him from this country without due process,” Hope Walz said.

Hope Walz added that the Trump administration would have “claimed he was a member of the MS-13 gang as a way to try to justify not giving him due process, as if there’s any justifiable reason for not giving anybody due process.”

“But yeah, people don’t want to talk about that,” Hope added. “Some people don’t want to talk about that. It truly is baffling how clear and laid out everything is, and there are still people standing by it.”

“I believe in the good of people and like humanity, humans, you know … deep down at our core. Like, we care about each other … but that’s really being tested,” the daughter of the Minnesota governor continued. “Because how anyone is okay with this is terrifying to me.”

Walz seemed to be referring to Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old illegal alien who was deported to El Salvador and is suspected of being a member of the violent MS-13 gang.

Democrats have been up in arms over Garcia’s deportation, arguing that the alleged gang member wasn’t provided with due process.

As Blaze News reported, four congressional Democrats arrived in El Salvador on Monday in an effort to pressure the return of Garcia to the United States.

Members of Trump’s administration have been ardently defending the polarizing deportation.

At a press conference at the White House earlier this month, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele proclaimed that he would not be returning Garcia.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a recent statement, “The mainstream media has peddled a sob story about Kilmar Abrego Garcia. The facts are that he is an illegal alien from El Salvador, an MS-13 gang member, and has a history of violence.”

DHS records show that the Salvadoran national was suspected of human trafficking in 2022 and has been accused of domestic violence against his wife.

“Jennifer Vasquez, Garcia’s wife, petitioned for an order of protection against him,” the DHS said. “She claimed he punched her, scratched her, and ripped off her shirt, and bruised her.”

The Department of Homeland Security stated that two judges found that Garcia was a member of MS-13. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement noted the “extreme violence” committed by MS-13.

“One of the largest and most violent criminal organizations in the United States is MS-13, which has over 10,000 members in as many as 40 states,” ICE states. “The gang is known for its extreme violence, including its brutal initiation rituals and acts of intimidation and retaliation against rival gangs, law enforcement officials, and community members.:

In another recent TikTok video regarding deportations of illegal aliens, Hope Walz called people who lean right “dumb” and described President Trump as the “king felon in chief.”

Hope then claimed that if the government deported illegal immigrants, it could also round up American citizens.

Hope lashed out, “I understand that some people lack empathy, which is f**king terrible, but what’s bizarre to me is the fact that they’re doing this to some people right now means that they could do it to all people.”

“Okay, don’t care about another human being, your time of judgment will come regarding that, but care about your f**king self because this could happen to anybody.” Hope ranted. “And it’s f**king horrible!”

Hope Walz has nearly 440,000 followers and more than 5 million views on her TikTok account.

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​Jesus, Jesus christ, Tim walz, Tim walz daughter, Hope walz, Ms-13, Donald trump, Illegal immigrants, Illegal aliens, Illegal immigration, Politics 

The Democrats not only continue to block President Trump’s deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, but are also ignoring the mountain of evidence revealing Garcia’s criminal history.

Garcia was suspected of potentially being on a terror watch list after being stopped by Tennessee Highway Patrol in 2022 before being released. He didn’t have documentation or a driver’s license, but that apparently didn’t matter.

In 2021, his wife filed a domestic violence protection order.

“She said back then he was hitting her, he was scratching her, he was detaining her. There was another police report that he ripped her shirt, he left bruising, very serious stuff. And now she’s publicly supporting him and raking in the GiveSendGo funds for her family,” Sara Gonzales of “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered” explains.

“And so you’ve got the fact that judges previously ruled that he was likely linked to MS-13, he was denied bond for posing a potential danger to the public, and despite that, he was allowed to remain in this country until Trump’s 2025 deportation,” she continues.

“The Democrats are like, ‘But, but, but what about due process?’ I don’t want to give it to him. If you’re here illegally, you don’t get due process. I think that’s only for American citizens,” she adds.

BlazeTV host Stu Burguiere notes that when Garcia was arrested, it was with an MS-13 gang member.

“I don’t know how many times that’s happened to you guys, probably a lot,” he jokes, adding, “I just hang out with a lot of people with facial tattoos. That’s just my thing.”

“It could happen that a source goes to the government and falsely names you as an MS-13 member,” he continues. “What we do know, because he’s admitted it, is that he was here illegally, and he was here for a very long time illegally.”

“He didn’t try to get asylum for many, many years, eventually got caught, and then claimed his mother’s pupusa stand back in El Salvador was being terrorized and he couldn’t go back there because he might get tortured,” he says, “but it doesn’t exist.”

“The idea that he was going to go back to El Salvador and get tortured for his mother’s pupusa stand that was not open — it’s a hell of a stretch to get him to stay in the country,” he adds.

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Christianity Today went viral over the Easter weekend for all the wrong reasons.

Last week, the Christian magazine asked a provocative question: Was Jesus crucified with nails?

— (@)

The query stemmed from a novel theory created by Bible scholar Jeffrey P. Arroyo García, who recently published a paper in an academic journal titled, “Nails or Knots — How Was Jesus Crucified?”

The theory goes like this: The Gospel accounts in the New Testament do not explicitly say that Jesus was affixed to the cross with nails, neither do the earliest accounts of Roman crucifixion mention nails, so Jesus could have been hung to the cross with rope, right? After all, being nailed to a cross is not what kills the condemned; death comes through suffocation, caused by suspension on the cross. And that passage in John’s Gospel about doubting Thomas? It was probably written in the late first century after crucifixion with nails had become more common — allegedly.

On Holy Saturday — the day between Good Friday, which marks the day Jesus died, and Easter Sunday, the day of His resurrection — Christianity Today posted its story on X.

By Monday, the post had more than 2.4 million views, it had been slapped with a community note, and it had drawn outrage from every corner of Christianity.

“Dear CT, there’s a grammatical error in paragraph 31 (‘the Romans use of nails’ requires a possessive apostrophe), and there’s a historical error from paragraphs 1-43,” Wheaton College professor John Dickson said.
“Guys, having read it, this whole piece is built upon the assumption the Gospel of John is an after-the-fact fabricated account.
Please remember, you are *Christianity* Today,” pastor Josh Howerton
replied.
“And Thomas said, ‘Unless I see the rope burns I will not believe,'” pastor Mike Stone mocked.
“Christianity Today has outdone our @TheBabylonBee writers once again. We really should just buy them to eliminate the competition,” Kyle Mann, editor in chief of the Babylon Bee, mocked.
“‘You can ignore the clear witness of the Christian Gospel of John today because we think it was written late.’ -Christianity Today,” Theologian Colin Smothers mocked.
“The Greek word for ‘nail’ can also mean ‘to affix’ or ‘to press firmly,’ leading some Greek scholars to suggest Jesus may have simply been adhered to the cross with first-century duct tape,” Andrew Walker, professor at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, mocked.

“Christianity Today could have avoided this embarrassment by reading their Bibles,” Lindsay said.

Biblical scholar Ben Gladd, though he didn’t directly cite Christianity Today, published an article on Good Friday explaining “why nails matter.”

Beyond the internal textual evidence and fulfillment of prophecies — citing Psalm 22, Isaiah 53, and Zechariah 12 — Gladd explained that the instruments with which Jesus was affixed to the cross matter because they shine a light on the heart of the gospel.

Gladd wrote:

If you consult the cross-references in your Bible’s margins, you’ll see all four Gospels allude to Psalm 22 as they narrate the crucifixion (see Matt. 27:35, 39, 41, 42, 43; Mark 15:24, 29, 31; Luke 23:34, 35, 36; John 19:23, 24). Jesus even quotes verse 1 (“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”) in Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34. Three of the four evangelists possibly allude to verse 16 as they describe Jesus being crucified between two criminals (Matt. 27:38; Luke 23:33; John 19:18). So when Jesus commands Thomas and the disciples to look at his “hands” and “feet” (Luke 24:39; John 20:20, 25), he could subtly be alluding to verse 16 since Psalm 22 features so prominently at the crucifixion.

The early church was convinced that Jesus was nailed to the cross (e.g., Justin Martyr, Ignatius, Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Origen), and so are most contemporary commentators (e.g., Raymond Brown, I. Howard Marshall, Craig Keener, and Eckhard Schnabel). By preserving the details about nails that pierced Jesus’s hands and feet, we’re reminded that at the gospel’s heart lies One who is pierced, One who bore God’s wrath, so you and I can enjoy God’s favor.

Theologian Andrew Snyder, meanwhile, hit the nail on the head (pun intended).

Snyder observed that such a theory as this — that perhaps Jesus was affixed to the cross with rope, not nails, because the Gospels do not explicitly state that Jesus was nailed to the cross — arose out of a problem with the state of scholarship, namely that the pressure to publish new journal articles contributes to “innovation,” a desire that Snyder described as “antithetical to true scholarship.”

He added, “‘I want to say something true’ is always superior to ‘I want to say something new.'”

Amen.

​Christianity today, Christians, Christianity, Jesus christ, Jesus passion, Crucifixion, Jesus nails, God, Easter, Faith 

A Democrat judge in New Mexico resigned last month just days after a suspected member of the violent Tren de Aragua gang was arrested at his residence.

On March 3, Judge Jose “Joel” Cano, magistrate of Doña Ana County, sent a letter to various court staff, including 3rd Judicial District Chief Judge Conrad Perea, announcing that he would step down from his seat effective March 21.

“Working with each of you has been a very rewarding experience for which I will remain eternally grateful,” he wrote, according to the Albuquerque Journal.

Just three days before Cano sent the resignation letter, on February 28, ICE agents conducted a search warrant on his home in connection with Cristhian Ortega-Lopez, a 23-year-old illegal immigrant from Venezuela and suspected TDA gangster who was living there.

Ortega-Lopez broke into the U.S. by scaling a barbed-wire fence near Eagle Pass, Texas, at the height of the Biden border crisis in December 2023, Breitbart reported, citing court documents. He spent three days at a detention facility in South Laredo before he was released because of overcrowding.

He then moved in with five other people in El Paso and began working in construction and doing other odd jobs. At some point, he crossed paths with Nancy Cano, wife of ex-Judge Cano, who offered Ortega-Lopez the chance to live in a casita behind the home the couple shares in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Ortega-Lopez apparently accepted the offer because last April, he filed a request for immigration relief and listed the judge’s address as his current residence. Breitbart indicated that the judge “allowed” him to do so.

Judge Damian Martinez initially opted to release him, reportedly stating that he did not believe Judge Cano ‘would just let anybody live in his property.’

Far from mere casual acquaintances, Ortega-Lopez and Cano apparently spent considerable time together. Prosecutors introduced photos and videos posted to social media that showed the two posing together.

What’s more, the photos and videos revealed that on at least one occasion, Ortega-Lopez and several other illegal aliens went to the local gun range, where they fired various firearms. One photo reportedly showed Ortega-Lopez double-fisting an AR-15-style rifle and a handgun, while in another photo, he allegedly handled another AR-style rifle outfitted with a suppressor.

Video footage also showed Ortega-Lopez firing the rifle until it ran out of bullets, according to Breitbart. He then reloaded the gun with a fresh magazine and proceeded to fire it again.

During their investigation, agents discovered a cache of weapons at the nearby home of April Cano, identified as Nancy Cano’s daughter. Prosecutors alleged that after meeting Ortega-Lopez, April Cano “allowed him to hold and sometimes shoot various firearms” she owns.

In some of the social media photos, Ortega-Lopez can be seen holding some of April Cano’s firearms, the Journal said. His TDA tattoos are reportedly visible in both the photos and videos.

Ortega-Lopez’s cell phone also contains images of decapitated and mutilated bodies, reported Breitbart, which claimed to have viewed the gruesome images.

Ortega-Lopez was arrested on February 28 and currently faces a federal charge of unlawful alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition. At a detention hearing on March 14, U.S. Magistrate Judge Damian Martinez initially opted to release him, reportedly stating that he did not believe Judge Cano “would just let anybody live in his property.”

Prosecutors immediately filed an appeal of his release and included the quotation from Judge Martinez in their motion.

Martinez also reportedly wanted to consider whether Mrs. Cano might be considered a third-party custodian of Ortega-Lopez.

For now, Ortega-Lopez remains in custody without bond at the Doña Ana County Detention Center for “violation [of] federal immigration laws,” jail records show.

Joel and Nancy Cano declined a request for comment from the Journal, claiming they did not want to jeopardize any of Ortega-Lopez’s pending legal cases. Whether any of the Canos will face charges on account of their association with Ortega-Lopez remains unclear.

Joel Cano is a former police officer who first ran for the county magistrate position as a Democrat in 2010. He then kept his seat by running unopposed in subsequent elections, including his most recent re-election in 2022.

Earlier this year, the U.S. government declared Tren de Aragua to be a foreign terrorist organization.

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A thief was able to steal the purse of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem while she dined at a downtown Washington, D.C., restaurant on Sunday evening.

The bag contained $3,000, Noem’s driver’s license, medication, apartment keys, passport, blank checks, a makeup bag, and her DHS access badge. A spokesperson for Noem confirmed the robbery in a statement to Blaze News.

The cash was intended to be used to purchase Easter presents and activities for Noem’s family, as well as the dinner.

Noem was also approached at the White House Easter Egg Roll and asked about the incident. She confirmed the report and said that the matter had not yet been resolved.

A law enforcement source told CBS News that the Secret Service had reviewed security footage from the restaurant and saw a white male wearing a medical mask take the bag. The unknown male then left the restaurant.

The source added that the Secret Service was investigating any use of Noem’s financial instruments.

A DHS spokesperson said the cash was intended to be used to purchase Easter presents and activities for Noem’s family, as well as the dinner.

The incident was first reported by CNN.

Noem was the governor of South Dakota before she was tapped by President Donald Trump to head DHS. She has made his promise of mass deportations the focus of the department.

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An activist from Next Generation Action Network is not only representing accused teen killer Karmelo Anthony but has a lengthy rap sheet of his own.

Minister Dominique Alexander, the appointed spokesperson for the alleged teen murderer, has been convicted on child abuse charges and allegations of domestic violence, but served almost zero prison time.

While on probation, Alexander was indicted on felony forgery charges, then in 2017 on felony theft charges of property between $2,500 and $30,000.

“The guy’s been convicted of several crimes,” Jason Whitlock of “Fearless” comments. “He’s reinvented himself as some sort of black activist. That’s the first sign that hey, there’s a problem here. A career criminal is the face of, ‘Hey, I’m fighting for justice for Karmelo Anthony and his family.’”

“They’re looking for justice for Karmelo Anthony,” Whitlock continues. “Who would take on that job? ‘We gotta get justice for the guy that [allegedly] stabbed and killed a 17-year-old.’ Who would do that? And why?”

And the latest press conference for Anthony’s family, led by Alexander, revealed Alexander’s true colors when Jeff Metcalf, the father of the slain teenager Austin Metcalf, showed up at the press conference himself.

“The father being at this press conference … is a disrespect to the dignity of his son,” said Alexander.

“That was disrespectful and just shows you all the character — he was not invited, he knows that it’s inappropriate to be near this family, but he did it,” the Next Generation Action Network president added.

“So this press conference that went 30 minutes yesterday started out with Dominique Alexander, the career criminal, the baby Al Sharpton of Texas. Austin Metcalf’s father, who came to the press conference. He wanted to hear what Karmelo Anthony and his family and their spokesman had to say,” Whitlock says.

“And they booted Austin Metcalf’s dad out of the press conference, and then Dominique Alexander, the man with virtually no command of the English language, took a dump on Austin Metcalf’s father,” he continues, adding, “Who’s the real victim here?”

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Earlier this morning, Pope Francis passed away at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta. He was 88 years old and riddled with health issues. His replacement will likely be decided in the next 15 to 20 days by a secret conclave of cardinals, who will vote until a candidate secures a two-thirds majority.

As the world braces to find out who’s next in line, Glenn Beck has a story to tell — one that mainstream media would never dare to touch.

He keenly recalls the day Francis was announced as the next pope following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI — a “staunch conservative,” who “stood for everything the modern world wanted the Church to abandon.”

Benedict “had moral clarity; he was a traditionalist and a spiritual authority,” Glenn reflects. However, it didn’t take him long to figure out that “Pope Francis was going to be none of these things.”

As the media speculated about who would be next in line, pundits brought up Francis, formerly known as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, and claimed they knew very little about him.

However, “Within 10 minutes [of the announcement], everybody on every network started talking about how great he was going to be” and that “he was practically Jesus,” says Glenn.

That’s when he could see the writing on the wall — “They like him,” which means “this guy is going to be a nightmare.”

Contrast their celebration of Francis with their contempt for Benedict, who “would not compromise on life” or “marriage” and had “no applause for the modern world.”

“The globalists hated him, the media called him rigid, progressives called him dangerous, and the machine went to work behind closed doors because that machine is in every government, and make no mistake — the Vatican is a government,” says Glenn.

Although it will never be admitted, Benedict didn’t resign; he was removed due to “a soft coup by the progressive faction inside the Church who was eager to align Rome with Davos.”

“We’ve seen it in Hollywood; we’ve seen it in the media — it’s the replacement of the immovable with those who are more malleable; the strong replaced by the inclusive, the faithful with the fashionable,” Glenn reflects.

Pope Francis is a case in point. He entered the picture and “immediately everything about the Church changed.” Suddenly, there was “global applause,” “doctrinal ambiguity,” and “climate change sermons.” Overnight, the Church became “less about salvation, more about sustainability and collective salvation; less moral compass, more moral relativism.”

The deep-state mentality is pervasive, Glenn explains. It “runs in institutions, and when those institutions start to resist the world’s direction, they’re infiltrated, they’re neutralized, and they’re repurposed.”

That’s what “happened at the Vatican,” says Glenn. “I saw it.”

To hear Glenn’s wild story about his chilling encounter with the very man who was leading the opposition to oust Benedict and hear his take on where the Catholic Church is headed, watch the episode above.

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The Mayo Clinic is rebranding its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives as “belonging,” following President Donald Trump’s executive order prohibiting all such DEI-related programs.

On Inauguration Day, Trump signed an executive action “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,” banning the “illegal and immoral discrimination programs” within the federal government. The administration warned it would pull federal funding, including grant awards, from entities that continue implementing DEI-related initiatives despite the ban.

‘In keeping with this focus and recent national events, we’re embracing an opportunity to accelerate Mayo Clinic’s belonging journey to reflect our culture of collaboration and respect and support positive patient experiences.’

Trump’s action appears to have prompted some companies, including the Mayo Clinic, to effectively cancel the acronym while potentially keeping the same goals under a new name.

U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) responded to the clinic’s actions.

“They aren’t fooling anyone! DEI is DOA [dead on arrival],” Mace declared in a post on X.

On Thursday, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported that the Mayo Clinic is undergoing a “renaming” effort, including changing its DEI office to the “Office of Belonging.” Additionally, staffers with DEI-related titles will be referred to as “Belonging” employees. It noted that the clinic’s website would also be updated to reflect these changes.

A webpage on the Mayo Clinic’s Office of Belonging states that its “vision is to create a global environment of empowered belonging.”

“This requires building an environment of psychological safety, making Mayo Clinic a place where people from all backgrounds, cultures and experiences can access the best healthcare and where all staff can bring their authentic best selves,” it continues. “Equity is embodied in every aspect of Mayo Clinic, from the individuals who constitute it to the organization as a whole.”

The clinic admitted that the move was prompted by “recent national events.” Yet, Trump’s executive order banning DEI initiatives also clearly prohibits such rebranding and masking efforts.

It reads, “The Director of the Office of Management and Budget … shall coordinate the termination of all discriminatory programs, including illegal DEI and ‘diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility’ (DEIA) mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities in the Federal Government, under whatever name they appear.”

While not under the federal government, the nonprofit medical group has received $500 million over the past two years from the National Institutes of Health. According to USASpending.gov, the federal government has provided more than $4.4 billion to the Mayo Clinic since 2008.

Minnesota Star Tribune reported that the medical group did not respond to questions concerning whether any jobs would be impacted, and it is unclear whether any functions will be changed.

Andrea Kalmanovitz, the Mayo Clinic’s director of media relations, told the news outlet, “Mayo Clinic’s commitment against racism remains.”

“Since 2020, Mayo Clinic has intentionally focused on belonging as a cornerstone of staff wellbeing,” Kalmanovitz stated. “In keeping with this focus and recent national events, we’re embracing an opportunity to accelerate Mayo Clinic’s belonging journey to reflect our culture of collaboration and respect and support positive patient experiences.”

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​News, Mayo clinic, Diversity equity inclusion, Dei, Donald trump, Trump, Trump administration, Trump admin, Nancy mace, National institutes of health, Nih, Politics 

The Trump administration has frozen over $2 billion in multi-year grants and contracts at Harvard University after its leaders refused to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, ban masks at campus protests, enact merit-based hiring and admission reforms, and reduce the power of faculty and administrators.

“Harvard wants to have its cake and eat it too,” Dr. Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, tells Liz Wheeler on “The Liz Wheeler Show.” “It wants to allow anti-Semites on campus, their students, their faculty members, it wants to continue to implement DEI policies, which is against federal law.”

“But because Harvard is so special in the eyes of its own president, evidenced by his announcement yesterday, it also wants to continue to participate to the tune of billions of dollars in federal student loans and grants,” Roberts continues.

“My advice to my college president associate at Harvard University is you can’t have your cake and eat it too. Pick one or the other. Participate in the programs and abide by federal law, or decide that you don’t like what the federal government is telling you, and stop participating in those programs,” he adds.

The Trump administration is investigating Harvard further and considering freezing an additional $9 billion in student loans and research grants.

“You know, the ones that fund the labs and stuff that really the money that keeps Harvard open is what I would call it,” Wheeler says, adding, “They’d have to radically change if they lose this money.”

“For Harvard, the really big pot of money is the research grants,” Roberts chimes in. “I think the way that this is going to get resolved is that Harvard is going to be intransigent. They’re picking a fight with a president and a vice president and an administration that is ready for this fight.”

“I think the administration is going to prevail,” he adds.

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When I was a boy, my father would rouse my brothers and me — plus the dog — just after sunrise on Patriots Day. We’d walk to the bottom of our street to catch a glimpse of the men and boys marching down Strawberry Hill Road, bound for the Old North Bridge in Concord.

There were never more than a few dozen from Acton, but we heard the drums long before they appeared through the tall, thick trees that line the roads of our Massachusetts town. Now and then, a musket shot cracked the morning air. The dog hated it. He couldn’t grasp why we stood there, waiting for what sounded like an advancing army.

You can’t hold on to your inheritance if you don’t know where it came from — or what it cost.

But for us, it was unforgettable. It felt like history marching toward us. The thrill of a lifetime.

Two hundred and fifty years ago this past Saturday, there were no ceremonial shots. No crowd. No celebration. Just a grim and determined militia moving through the cold New England air, summoned by the alarm of church bells echoing across the countryside.

The British were coming. And the men of Acton walked out to meet them.

There were far fewer trees back then. As the sun rose, the men could see across the open farmland for miles.

Today, Concord is downright tony. But in April 1775, it was still rough country — 140 years old and carved from the wilderness by people who lived off the land. The forest wasn’t just scenery. It was essential for survival: fuel for fires, timber for homes, a barrier against the cold and the unknown.

Years later, the most despised man in town wasn’t a redcoat or a Tory — it was a scrawny, self-important poet who managed to burn the woods down trying to make chowder. His name? Henry David Thoreau.

But on that frozen April morning, no one had time for philosophy. As the Minutemen turned onto Barretts Mill Road, then Lowell Road, they may have glimpsed fellow militiamen assembling on the ridge above the bridge spanning the Concord River.

Ahead lay the town. Between them and it: British light infantry, armed and in formation.

In 1775, the British Empire spanned from Bengal to Bermuda. It held all 13 American colonies and, after its victory in the French and Indian War, ruled Eastern Canada as well. The British Army was undefeated, disciplined, and sharply dressed in red coats and white trousers.

But beneath the uniform, most were poor. Soldiering wasn’t seen as honorable. It was a last resort for men with no other prospects — desperate enough to take the king’s shilling.

The night before the battle, those men had been roused from their barracks in Boston, a world away from the places they called home. They boarded small boats and crossed the Charles River in silence. Seven hundred soldiers, soaked to the skin, trudged 10 miles through the dark to Lexington Green.

There, about 80 American militiamen waited. They had mustered in the night, armed but unsure. As the British columns approached, fear rippled through their line. The enemy just kept coming.

Their captain — a veteran of the war in Canada — knew the odds. He arranged his men in parade formation and told them not to fire. He wasn’t there to win. He was trying to avoid a massacre.

British officers on horseback rode past their lines, eyes cold, barking orders at the militiamen to drop their weapons and disperse. The sun was still nearly two hours from rising when a shot rang out.

No one knows who fired first — but the British answered with a volley.

They gunned down their own countrymen — eight killed, 10 wounded — shattering a small town before continuing their march to Concord.

The shock was immediate and profound. Tensions had simmered for months, but no war had been declared. The Declaration of Independence was still more than a year away. British troops had fired on an unruly mob in Boston five years earlier, but this was different. This time they opened fire on a peaceful militia. And this time, they were marching inland to seize arms and cannon — something they had done before without bloodshed.

This time changed everything.

By the time the British reached Concord, seven miles farther west, the town already knew what had happened. Colonial spies had tracked the army’s every move. Paul Revere had watched their boats leave Boston. The militia had scattered much of the weapons and ammunition into nearby fields. The element of surprise was gone.

Unlike Lexington, Concord didn’t meet the troops with defiance — at least not at first. Soldiers paid townspeople for supplies. No shots were fired. But above Barrett’s Hill, the Minutemen were watching.

They were farmers, blacksmiths, merchants, and their sons. Some had fought the French. Others had battled Indians. But most had never faced trained soldiers.

They weren’t an army — until that moment.

Now, they outnumbered the redcoats. Then the smoke rose from the town — cannon carriages, set ablaze by the British.

The sight triggered fury.

“Will you let them burn down the town?” shouted Joseph Hosmer.

The Americans didn’t answer with words. They marched down the hill to cross the bridge — and into history.

When I was a kid, “the shot heard ’round the world” was the defining story of the American Revolution. We took field trips to the battlefield, rode our bikes down to see the re-enactments with Dad, and as teenagers, we snuck beers and cigars along the quiet river after dark.

I imagined the men — some barely more than boys — who stood their ground and faced down a global empire for their rights. I thought of their strength, courage, and resolve. They suffered, bled, and died for our inheritance.

To us, they were heroes.

It wasn’t until I got older and started to travel that I realized how little of the war was actually fought in the towns where I grew up. I knew my ancestors had fought at Monmouth. Others in my family had taken up arms for the crown in the South. But in my imagination, the war was always Lexington, Concord, the Boston Massacre, and Bunker Hill.

Travel shattered that illusion.

I stood on a hill in New Jersey where my family had held the line against charging Hessian mercenaries. A few miles away, I visited a house marked with a plaque: A man had been hanged there by a mob, suspected of loyalty to the king.

The biggest battles were in the South. That’s where the war was won.

One branch of my family knew the cost of neutrality. A former officer from the French and Indian War refused to take sides when the Revolution broke out. The local townspeople tried to lynch him. Driven into exile, he joined the loyalists.

While he was away fighting, his wife fed information to the Americans — protecting the farm and their many children from reprisals. Her actions earned him a pardon. After the war, he returned from exile and served in the North Carolina State Assembly.

The Revolution wasn’t a clean myth. It was a civil war, bitter and personal. And my family, like many, lived both sides of it.

I once had a beer and a lobster roll on a quiet Connecticut beach where Long Island spies came ashore with news of British troop movements. I bent down and touched the cold water of the Delaware, where Washington’s army crossed one bitter Christmas Eve.

No book can teach what you learn by walking where history happened — by breathing the same air, listening to the same wind, standing where great men once stood.

With time, I came to see how much larger the Revolution really was. And uglier. The lines between right and wrong blurred. The deeper you go, the more complexity you uncover. That’s the price of understanding — and of growing up.

Still, Concord will always stay with me.

I know the men in red weren’t monsters. They were cold, far from home, following orders. “They came three thousand miles, and died, to keep the Past upon its throne,” reads the grave marker by the river. “Unheard, beyond the ocean tide, their English mother made her moan.”

But I know the other side, too. The farmers who stood against them weren’t radicals or rebels. They were citizens. They were noble. And when the moment came, they chose to act.

You can’t hold on to your inheritance if you don’t know where it came from — or what it cost.

That’s why I’ll take my son with me the next time I stand on that “rude bridge that arched the flood” and tell him what happened there — where embattled farmers once stood and fired the shot heard ’round the world.

Emerson’s poem: Concord Hymn

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Klaus Schwab indicated in an April 1 letter to the World Economic Forum’s board of trustees and staff that he was stepping down as chairman of the technocratic globalist organization. The 87-year-old economist did not, however, appear to be in a rush.

The WEF told the Financial Times earlier this month that Schwab — who pushed vigorously in recent years for a “great reset” of capitalism — would complete his departure by January 2027. His exit has, however, come early.

Schwab announced Monday that he was stepping down immediately.

“Following my recent announcement, and as I enter my 88th year, I have decided to step down from the position of Chair and as a member of the Board of Trustees, with immediate effect,” the technocrat said in a statement to the WEF’s board.

The board unanimously appointed WEF Vice Chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe as the interim chairman and established a search committee for the selection of a future chair.

Brabeck-Letmathe is the Austrian business executive who led the Nestlé Group as CEO from 1997 to 2008 and Formula One until 2016. A notable shareholder in the vaccine manufacturer Moderna at least as of 2023, Brabeck-Letmathe has served as a member of the WEF’s foundation board as well as on its board of trustees.

“At a time when the world is undergoing rapid transformation, the need for inclusive dialogue to navigate complexity and shape the future has never been more critical,” the WEF stated. “The Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum underlines the importance of remaining steadfast in its mission and values as a facilitator of progress. Building on its trusted role, the Forum will continue to bring together leaders from all sectors and regions to exchange insights and foster collaboration.”

‘The world must act jointly and swiftly to revamp all aspects of our societies and economies.’

Blaze News previously noted that Schwab’s exit, apparently announced on the 55th anniversary of the day he began working on the borrowed concept of a “global village,” followed in the wake of a probe into allegations of discrimination at the WEF.

The Wall Street Journal published a damning report alleging — on the basis of internal complaints, email exchanges, and interviews with current and past WEF employees — that “under Schwab’s decades-long oversight, the forum has allowed to fester an atmosphere hostile to women and black people in its own workplace.”

The report contained allegations that: multiple female employees were “pushed out or otherwise saw their careers suffer” when pregnant or coming back from maternity leave; some women were sexually harassed by senior WEF managers; Schwab “made suggestive comments to [former staffers] that made them uncomfortable”; and some black employees were passed over for promotions and subjected to objectionable racial comments.

The WEF suggested the Journal’s report was “inaccurate,” stating, “We are an organization that upholds the highest standards of governance, while working to address the most pressing challenges of our time with our high-performance teams, our diverse and global outlook, and an environment that values innovation, inclusion, and well-being.”

After the Wall Street Journal’s report made waves, the WEF hired a pair of law firms to investigate the claims of workplace discrimination and harassment.

The law firm Covington and Burling — whose members had their security clearances suspended last month by President Donald Trump — conveniently concluded with the Swiss firm Homburger that it “did not find the forum had committed any legal violations” and “did not substantiate” the misconduct allegations against Schwab.

Time will tell if Schwab’s replacement will secure the future he long conspired to bring about.

In a June 2020 WEF blog post, Schwab noted that “the world must act jointly and swiftly to revamp all aspects of our societies and economies, from education to social contracts and working conditions. Every country, from the United States to China, must participate, and every industry, from oil and gas to tech, must be transformed. In short, we need a ‘Great Reset’ of capitalism.”

Observing that populations proved willing “to make sacrifices” during the pandemic, Schwab indicated “the will to build a better society does exist.”

“We must use it to secure the Great Reset that we so badly need,” continued Schwab. “That will require stronger and more effective governments.”

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Voters in crime-ridden Oakland, California, elected former U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, a Democrat, as the city’s next mayor.

Oakland held a special election on Tuesday after former Mayor Sheng Thao (D) was recalled by her constituents over the city’s rising crime rates, which prompted many businesses to flee the area.

‘I’ve never uttered “defund the police.”‘

The FBI raided Thao’s home in June, and she was later indicted in January on bribery, conspiracy, and mail and wire fraud charges.

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price (D) was also recalled.

The successful recall efforts appeared to indicate that Oakland residents had had enough of progressive politicians’ soft-on-crime approach.

Seneca Scott, the founder of Neighbors Together Oakland, said the recalls signaled that the “phony ‘progressive’ movement is officially dead.”

However, last week, Oakland residents voted to replace Thao with Lee, a Democratic candidate who had opposed the recall effort and previously expressed support for defunding the police.

In June 2020, Lee told Politico that she was “really proud of what Minneapolis unanimously decided” after the city pulled funding from the police. Yet, Lee has insisted that she never supported the defunding movement.

“I’ve never uttered ‘defund the police,’” she told KRON-TV in January. “I never was there. Some were, some weren’t. But that’s okay. I wasn’t. Some said it was only progressives who were, doing the right thing for police reform. And believe you me, I’ve been out there on police accountability and police reform. That’s me. But, believe you me, I understand the need for public safety for everyone.”

Lee’s challenger, former City Council member Loren Taylor (D), who supported tougher police measures, held the initial lead in the mayoral race. However, Lee ultimately secured a five-point victory in the ranked-choice election.

Despite her previous comments indicating her support for yanking funding from law enforcement, Lee ran on a public safety platform in the special election.

Her “first 100 days” plan stated that she intends to address the city’s homelessness crisis and “bring together Police Department leadership and representatives from all business corridors to coordinate and improve public safety strategies.”

She also stated she would appoint a task force “to modernize Oakland’s Charter and strengthen government accountability.”

Scott referred to Lee as “Thao 2.0” and attributed her election success to her “tremendous name recognition.” He expressed doubt that she would keep her campaign promises.

“I have no confidence ‘progressives’ will actually follow thru, they just pandered as usual and will continue passing destructive anti-commerce policies,” Scott wrote in a post on X.

Lee stated on Saturday, “This morning, Loren Taylor called me to concede the race. While I believe strongly in respecting the democratic voting process and ballots will continue to be counted through Tuesday, the results are clear that the people of Oakland have elected me as your next Mayor. THANK YOU, OAKLAND!”

“I accept your choice with a deep sense of responsibility, humility, and love,” she continued. “Oakland is a deeply divided City, and I answered the call to run, to unite our community—so that I can represent every voter, and we can all work together as One Oakland to solve our most pressing problems.”

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​News, Oakland, Oakland california, California, Sheng thao, Barbara lee, Loren taylor, Seneca scott, Crime, Public safety, Politics 

Four congressional Democrats
arrived in El Salvador on Monday in hopes of pressuring the Trump administration into facilitating the return of Salvadoran MS-13 affiliate Kilmar Abrego Garcia — something the U.S. Supreme Court conditionally ordered earlier this month.

The trip comes on the heels of Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen’s (D) pilgrimage to support the suspected gangbanger — a trip critics seized upon as another damning example of Democrats’ extra-national priorities — and in the wake of new polling showing
record-low confidence in Democratic congressional leadership.

While Democratic
Reps. Robert Garcia (Calif.), Maxwell Frost (Fla.), Yassamin Ansari (Ariz.), and Maxine Dexter (Ore.) followed in the steps of Van Hollen, who traveled last week to San Salvador to both demand Abrego Garcia’s release and share an intimate moment with the MS-13 affiliate, taxpayers did not similarly pay their way.

‘You can spend your own money.’

House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer refused the Democratic lawmakers’ request to let taxpayer money be wasted on the trip,
stating in an April 18 letter to Garcia and Frost, “It is absurd that you both displayed active hostility for over two years toward the Committee’s oversight of the Biden Border Crisis and the consequences of millions of illegal aliens entering the country, yet now, you are seeking travel at Committee expense to meet with foreign gang members.”

“You may be pleased to know that a Democrat Senator, Chris Van Hollen, was photographed just yesterday in El Salvador enjoying margaritas garnished with cherry slices with the foreign gang member your letter references,” continued Comer. “If you also wish to meet with him, you can spend your own money.”

Although denied the opportunity to send an official congressional delegation at taxpayers’ expense, the Democrats decided to make the trip anyway.

The four Democrats’ offices
informed Axios that they will meet with U.S. embassy officials in El Salvador.

Evidently unfazed by the credible accusations lodged against Garcia — of human trafficking and domestic abuse — as well as an immigration court’s determination that he is a “danger to the community,” the Democrats will also advocate for Abrego Garcia’s release.

“Donald Trump and his Administration are running a government-funded kidnapping program — illegally arresting, jailing, and deporting innocent people with zero due process. Kilmar Abrego Garcia is Trump’s latest victim,” said Frost.

“While Donald Trump continues to defy the Supreme Court, Kilmar Abrego Garcia is being held illegally in El Salvador after being wrongfully deported,” Rep. Garcia
said in a statement. “We are demanding the Trump Administration abide by the Supreme Court decision and give Kilmar and the other migrants mistakenly sent to El Salvador due process in the United States.”

An Obama judge
ordered the Trump administration on April 4 to bring a deported MS-13 member back to the United States, which he originally stole into without inspection in 2011.

On April 10, the U.S. Supreme Court
unanimously upheld the lower court’s ruling in part, stating, “The order properly requires the Government to ‘facilitate’ Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador.”

The court noted, however, that the “scope of the term ‘effectuate’ in the District Court’s order is, however, unclear, and may exceed the District Court’s authority,” and that the lower court “should clarify its directive, with due regard for the deference owed to the Executive Branch in the conduct of foreign affairs.”

White House officials indicated that the release and return of Abrego Garcia is up to El Salvador.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “That’s up to El Salvador if they want to return him. That’s not up to us. The Supreme Court ruled that if El Salvador wants to return him … we would facilitate it: meaning, provide a plane.”

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele indicated in the Oval Office last week that doing so is not possible.

President Donald Trump made clear Friday that contrary to Democrats’ characterization of Abrego Garcia as a “Maryland man” traduced, the Salvadoran bears the markings of his gang affiliation. Rather than leave the markings to the imagination, Trump shared a picture of the gang tattoo online.

‘Americans are increasingly saying the country is on the right track when it comes to immigration policy.’

“This is the hand of the man that the Democrats feel should be brought back to the United States, because he is such ‘a fine and innocent person,'” wrote Trump. “They said he is not a member of MS-13, even though he’s got MS-13 tattooed onto his knuckles, and two Highly Respected Courts found that he was a member of MS-13, beat up his wife, etc.”

— (@)

A new Gallup poll
found that confidence in Democratic congressional leaders is at an all-time low — only 25% of respondents signaled confidence in the leftist lawmakers’ ability to do or recommend the right thing. Democrats’ lowest confidence rating was previously 34%, which was recorded in 2023.

The four Democrats’ protest in El Salvador is unlikely to improve their relationship with voters. After all, a recent Washington Post poll
found in February that the majority of Americans support deporting all illegal aliens presently in the United States.

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​Democrats, Robert garcia, Yassamin ansari, Maxwell frost, Dexter, Kilmar abrego garcia, Ms-13, Terrorist, Deportation, El salvador, Illegal alien, Illegal immigration, Politics